U.S. sold U.S. $ 66.3 billion in weapons in 2011, a record

The United States in 2011 exported more weapons than ever, with a total of 66.3 billion dollars in sales, said on Sunday newspaper The New York Times   from a report prepared by the Research Service of the U.S. Congress, an organization nonpartisan linked to the Library of Congress. The value is three times the total of 2010, when exports were $ 21.4 billion. U.S. exports accounted for almost 78% of the global arms market, which handled 85.3 billion dollars. The second biggest seller is Russia, which appears well behind the U.S. in the bustling value: $ 4.8 billion. The charges mainly made to U.S. allies in the Persian Gulf. The biggest clients were Saudi Arabia, UAE and Oman, who bought especially missile systems and advanced next-generation aircraft. To justify the purchases, these countries argue that they need to defend against a possible attack from Iran.

Biggest deal Amid sales to Saudi Arabia, which totaled 33.4 billion dollars, is the largest agreement ever signed by the U.S. military. The country sold to the Arab nation 84 new combat aircraft F-15, upgraded another 70 aircraft and 178 helicopters provided, of three types: 70 Apaches, 72 Black Hawks and 36 Little Birds.The UAE bought 4.42 billion dollars in weapons, including 3.49 billion on a missile shield advanced and 939 million in 16 Chinook helicopters. Oman, in turn, bought 18 fighter aircraft F-16 by 1.4 billion, among other weapons. In addition to the transactions in the Middle East, the U.S. sold $ 4.1 billion in C-17 aircraft to India, and another 2 billion in Patriot missile batteries to Taiwan in a deal widely criticized by the Chinese government.